The Nickel BoysThe Nickel Boys
Score Modern
What it's about
In early-1960s Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis is a bright, principled Black teenager inspired by the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. and about to start college classes. Then a single mistake, being in the wrong car, sends him to the Nickel Academy, a segregated reform school whose cruelty is hidden behind its name. There he befriends Turner, a cynical boy who believes Elwood's ideals will get him killed.
Why it's worth reading
It's short, devastating and beautifully written, and it won the Pulitzer Prize, Whitehead's second. It's based on a real Florida reform school, and its ending is one readers never forget.
You'll love it if you liked
The Underground Railroad
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great MigrationGood to know
It's about 210 pages, depicts brutal abuse of children, and is based on the real Dozier School. Read it without spoilers.
By the numbers
- Readers87 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz14 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #7 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #9 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #35 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #66 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Colson Whitehead
The Underground Railroad
Harlem ShuffleIf you like this, read next
All the Light We Cannot See
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie Bain
Hamnet
The Great BelieversExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Nickel Boys worth reading?
Yes. It's short, devastating and beautifully written, and it won the Pulitzer Prize, Whitehead's second. It ranks #66 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 88.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Nickel Boys about?
In early-1960s Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis is a bright, principled Black teenager inspired by the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. and about to start college classes. Then a single mistake, being in the wrong car, sends him to the Nickel Academy, a segregated reform school whose cruelty is hidden behind its name. There he befriends Turner, a cynical boy who believes Elwood's ideals will get him killed.
How long does it take to read The Nickel Boys?
About 6 hours (224 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Nickel Boys won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2020).
What should I read after The Nickel Boys?
If you liked it, try The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson.